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ERIE, Pa. – January 28, 2013 – A University of Akron sociologist will discuss her research on family reunification as public policy at the next Colloquium Series in Psychological Sciences and Human Behavior event at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

“Does Protecting the Family Hurt the Child? Comparing Outcomes for Maltreated Children at Home and in Foster Care” is the title of Stacey Nofziger’s presentation. She will speak at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, in 180 Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center, 5101 Jordan Road. Admission is free and open to the public, and free parking will be available in the deck south of Burke, off Technology Drive.

Using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, Nofziger has studied two issues related to the placement of children under the care of Child Protective Services agencies: Comparison of caseworker reports of maltreatment to children’s self-reports of violence in the home, and comparison of the outcomes for children who remain in the family home versus those in foster care. Her study is an attempt to determine if family-reunification policies serve children’s best interests.

The event is hosted by Penn State Behrend’s B.A. and B.S. in Psychology degree programs, its Crime, Psychology, and Public Policy certificate program, and by the student Psychology Coalition with support from the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research and Evaluation (CORE), the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Student Activity Fee. For additional information, contact Carol Wilson, assistant professor of psychology, at 814-898-6082 or clw33@psu.edu.